English Slang Words: American Slang, British Slang, and How to Actually Learn Them

So you've been studying English for a while. You can read articles, write emails, maybe even hold a decent conversation about work or school. Then you watch a Netflix show or talk to native speakers your age, and suddenly half the slang words and phrases they're using don't match what your textbook taught you.

Welcome to English slang.

Here's the thing—most English courses focus on formal English grammar and "proper" vocabulary. Which makes sense for formal situations. But the gap between textbook English and how people actually speak English is huge. If you only know formal language, you're missing out on understanding real conversations, especially common slang words that native speakers use every day.

Let's talk about what slang actually is, the differences between American slang and British slang, and how English learners can pick it up without feeling lost.

What Are Slang Words? (And Why They're Different from Regular English)

Slang is informal language used in casual situations. It's what people use when they're relaxed—talking with friends, posting on social media, or just hanging out. Slang words are the opposite of the careful, grammatically perfect English you'd use in a job interview or academic paper.

A slang word is often used to describe something in a more casual, colorful way than standard vocabulary would. Sometimes it's an abbreviation that makes language faster and more efficient. Other times it's a completely new word that originates from youth culture, internet communities, or specific regions.

The tricky part? Slang changes constantly. What's popular in 2025 might sound dated in a couple years. And slang varies massively between regions—American English and British English have completely different slang expressions, even though they're technically the same language.

American Slang vs. British Slang: They're Basically Different Languages

If you're learning English, you need to understand that American slang and British slang are often wildly different. A slang term that works perfectly in the U.S. might confuse British people, and vice versa.

American slang words you'll hear constantly:

In American English, calling someone "man" is common and friendly. "Thanks, man" or "What's up, man?" works in casual situations. "Bucks" is American slang for money—"That costs twenty bucks." When Americans say something is "awesome," they mean it's really cool or excellent.

American slang also includes phrases like "hang out" (spend time casually with friends) and "bail" (leave a situation). If someone says "I'm gonna bail," they're leaving. "Screw up" is used to describe making a mistake—"I totally screwed up that test."

British slang words that'll confuse Americans:

British slang is a whole different beast. If a British person says they're "chuffed," they're really pleased about something. "Knackered" means extremely tired. "Cheeky" is used when someone is being a bit rude or bold but in a funny way—it can also be used to refer to someone being playfully disrespectful.

British terms like "mate" are common for addressing friends (similar to "buddy"), but this slang word sounds weird in American contexts. "Taking the piss" is British slang meaning to mock someone or joke around—nothing to do with actual bathrooms. "Faffing" means wasting time or being inefficient, as in "Stop faffing about."

The British have slang for food too. "Brekkie" means breakfast. A "cuppa" is a cup of tea. These British slang words and phrases would sound completely foreign to most Americans.

Common English Slang Words Both Americans and Brits Use

Despite the differences between British and American English, some common slang words appear in both:

"What's up?" — This phrase is used when someone wants to know what's happening or how you're doing. It's casual greeting slang that works across most English-speaking countries.

"Cool" — Universal slang for something good or acceptable. "That's cool" means "that's fine" or "that's nice."

"Cram" — Study intensively in a short period. English learners and native speakers both use this slang term during exam season.

But even these shared words or phrases can have slightly different meanings or usage depending on the region. That's why learning slang isn't just about memorizing definitions—you need to hear native speakers use slang in context.

Gen Z Slang: Slang Words in 2025 That Are Taking Over

Gen Z has created a whole new category of slang expressions that didn't exist a decade ago. These modern slang words and phrases often originate online and spread through social media.

Some Gen Z slang that's popular right now includes terms like "no cap" (meaning "no lie" or "for real"), "bussin" (used to describe something amazing, especially slang for food that tastes great), and "slay" (an expression of excitement or approval for someone doing something well).

The thing about Gen Z slang? It can be sarcastic or ironic. Sometimes words mean the opposite of what they literally mean. "That's sick" doesn't mean something is disgusting—it's slang used to mean something is really cool. This kind of nuance is why a dictionary of British slang or list of British (or American) slang terms won't fully help you—you need to see the slang word is used in real situations.

Regional Slang: Location Matters More Than You Think

Even within American English or British English, regional slang varies dramatically. The north of England uses different slang than London. California slang differs from New York slang.

Some regional slang examples:

This regional variation means you can't just learn "English slang"—you need to know which variety of English you're trying to understand.

Why Most English Learners Struggle with Slang

Most language learning resources don't teach slang well. Why? Because slang is messy. It doesn't follow neat English grammar rules. Slang changes fast. A slang word that was originally used in the 1990s might sound incredibly dated now. New words appear constantly.

Textbooks avoid slang because they focus on "standard" English—the kind that works in formal situations. But this means English learners can read perfectly fine yet still struggle to understand what native speakers are actually saying in casual conversations.

The problem gets worse when you realize that the same slang word can have different meanings in different contexts. It might be literal in one situation and sarcastic in another. Some slang is also be used jokingly, which means understanding tone is just as important as knowing the definition.

And here's something textbooks won't tell you: using slang words in the wrong context makes you sound ridiculous. Using slang in a job interview? Terrible idea. Using formal English grammar when you're just hanging out with friends? You'll sound like a robot.

This is similar to the challenge of learning German slang—you can memorize lists, but without real context, you won't know when or how to actually use slang.

How Slang Includes More Than Just Words

English slang isn't just about vocabulary. It also includes:

Shortened phrases: "Gonna" instead of "going to," "wanna" instead of "want to." Native speakers shorten words constantly in casual speech.

Idioms with slang: Expressions like "yanking my chain" (meaning someone is joking or teasing you) or "spill the tea" (share gossip) are slang phrases with meanings that can't be figured out from the individual words.

Slang expressions for emphasis: Adding words like "totally" or "literally" (even when used when someone doesn't literally mean literally) changes the tone and intensity of what you're saying.

The literal meaning often has nothing to do with how the phrase is actually used. That's what makes slang tricky for English learners—you can't just translate it word by word.

Common English Slang Words You'll Hear Native Speakers Use Every Day

Let's get practical. Here are common English slang words and phrases that come up constantly:

Basic conversational slang:

Leaving/going:

Other useful slang terms:

These are examples of slang that you absolutely need to know if you want to speak English naturally. But reading this list won't teach you how to actually use slang—you need to hear native speakers using these words and phrases in real conversations.

British Slang Words That Americans Find Confusing (And Vice Versa)

Let's look at some British English slang expressions that would sound weird to Americans:

British slang words:

And some American slang words that confuse British people:

American slang words:

The differences between British and American English go way beyond spelling and pronunciation—the slang is almost like two different vocabularies. If you're watching British TV shows, you'll hear completely different slang expressions than in American shows.

How to Actually Learn English Slang Words (Without Memorizing Lists)

Here's the truth: you can't learn slang the same way you learn English grammar. Memorizing a dictionary of British slang or a list of American slang words won't help much. Slang needs context.

The only real way to learn slang is through exposure to how native speakers actually use slang in real situations. You need to hear slang words and phrases in movies, TV shows, songs, YouTube videos, conversations—basically, authentic English content.

This is where traditional methods fail. You can study all the French swear words or German swear words you want from lists, but without hearing them used naturally, you won't really understand them. The same applies to slang in any language.

Pop songs are great for picking up slang because they're full of casual language. TV shows give you visual context. Podcasts let you hear natural conversational flow. But here's the problem: just passively watching shows isn't enough. You need a way to actively learn from the slang you encounter.

When you hear a slang word you don't know, you need to be able to look it up immediately, understand what it means in that specific context, save it, and review it later. Otherwise, the slang just washes over you and you forget it.

When You Should Use Slang (And When You Definitely Shouldn't)

This is crucial: knowing slang words doesn't mean you should use slang in every situation.

Never use slang:

Slang is fine:

Even in spoken English, you need to read the room. British people might use slang differently than Americans in the same casual situation. Age matters too—Gen Z slang often sounds weird when older adults try to use it.

The goal isn't to memorize every slang term. It's to recognize slang when you hear it and know when it's appropriate to use slang words yourself. That intuition comes from exposure and practice, not from studying lists.

Stop Memorizing, Start Immersing

Look, you can't learn English slang words the same way you learn English grammar rules. It doesn't work like that. Slang is alive—it changes, it originates from different subcultures, and it only makes sense in context.

The people who use slang naturally aren't the ones who studied flashcards. They're the ones who spent time immersed in English, picking up slang expressions by hearing how native speakers actually use them.

That's what Migaku is built for. Instead of generic exercises with made-up sentences, you're learning from real content—Netflix shows, YouTube videos, whatever you're actually interested in watching. When you encounter British slang words in a British show or American slang in an American movie, the browser extension lets you look up any word or phrase instantly.

When a character says "Let's bail" or "I'm totally knackered," you can click it, see what this slang word means, save it, and review it later. You're not just memorizing that "bail" is a slang term meaning "to leave"—you're seeing it used in a real situation, hearing the tone, understanding when it's used. That's how you actually learn slang.

And because Migaku uses spaced repetition, you'll review the slang words and phrases you saved right before you forget them. So instead of hearing "What's up?" once and forgetting it, you'll see it again and again until it's automatic.

The mobile app means you can review while commuting or waiting in line. All your cards sync across devices. And since you're creating cards from content you care about—shows you want to watch, videos on topics you're interested in—you'll actually stick with it instead of giving up on boring textbook exercises.

Learning slang isn't about memorizing lists of British slang words or American slang words. It's about exposure to real language use from native speakers. Migaku just makes that exposure turn into actual learning instead of passive entertainment. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to see how it works.

If you want to actually understand the slang words and phrases that native speakers use in real conversations—whether it's American slang, British slang, or Gen Z expressions—Migaku's browser extension lets you learn directly from Netflix, YouTube, and any other content you're watching. Click on any slang word to see its meaning in context, save it to your deck, and review it until these slang expressions become natural. Stop studying formal English grammar only and start learning how people actually speak English. Try it free for 10 days.